Joseph M. Cachia

“What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”- Oscar Wilde

I do not know about you, but I am constantly astounded by the arrogance of most of our political leaders. This is glaringly evident in the top political echelon of our poor country….starting by our Prime Minister with his persistent cynical and sarcastic smile of the ‘big brother’, a ‘non plus ultra’. Moreover, however pitifully, this attitude is permeating throughout the whole governing body. It appears that they have lost all ability to listen, see and reason and that they have been caught in the old adage that ‘power corrupts’.

Why is it that allegations of corruption and of other murky situations are simply being laughed at by our Prime Minister? Incredible lies are routinely passed as truth and the genuine responsibility of government as we once knew it is simply disintegrating. Don’t we, poor voters, deserve better treatment? He should have, since long ago, taken the bull by the horns and had them properly, seriously and independently investigated if he had really wanted to attain and retain the people’s confidence and trust.

The ignoring of allegations and accusations of scandals involving Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Heads of Corporations and other public officers…a never-ending list, seems to be this government’s birthright. Is it any prerogative of the government to ignore these in the face of constant broadsides aimed at the country’s Administration? Or is it gross insolence towards the Maltese electorate who once placed them there? But evidently, he never cared and is simply foreboding that if, unfortunately, the Nationalist Party is re-elected, we simply would be having more of the same!

"Corporations have been enthroned .... An era of corruption in high places will follow and the money power will endeavor to prolong its reign by working on the prejudices of the people... until wealth is aggregated in a few hands ... and the Republic is destroyed."- Abraham Lincoln

We are today so ensnared in the process of selling and buying things in the market place, that we cannot imagine human life being otherwise.

Because, consumption and consumerism dominate social discourse and political agendas of all parties, consumerism hogs the limelight at centre stage as the prime objective.

The stability of life is an illusion. No matter how rich you are, you can always imagine being infinitely richer. The greater your imagination exceeds your station, the more corrupt you are likely to get. While it is true that we can all admire power and money, we must also ensure to remain prone to admire ideals.

In spite of the insistence of the General Retailers and Traders Union (G.R.T.U.) that a part of the expenses for imported products is being absorbed by them (importers) and the price increases are thus being eased, it cannot be denied that various abuses in price increases are continually being reported. Furthermore, the strong objection by the GRTU on the implementation of the ‘name and shame’ policy sounds a very discordant note in the honest relationship that they expect us to hold in their regard. Consumers are cutting their spending and retailers are starting to get hurt. It could be that they had tried to absorb these costs but at this point they had to pass them on. Personally, I don’t mind anyone ‘making a fair’ living. I strongly object to anyone ‘making a killing’ by exploiting everyone who isn’t them.

ALLIANCE, n. In international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third. Ambrose Bierce

As the Western media turns its attention to and prattles about the fate of the 15 Britons detained for allegedly trespassing into Iranian waters, the status of the five Iranian officials captured in a US military raid on a liaison office in Northern Iraq on January 11, remains a mystery.

Even though high-level Iraqi officials called for their release, for all practical purposes, the Iranians have disappeared into the US-sanctioned 'coalition detention' system that has been criticized as arbitrary and even illegal by many experts in international law. The US forces had raided what has been described as a diplomatic liaison office in the northern city of Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, and detained six Iranians (one of whom has since been released), infuriating Kurdish officials in the process.

In response to the request by the Iranian authorities to the US-led coalition to investigate the circumstances involving their detention and to release the five men, the US State Department replied that "the investigation is not complete, and we don't comment publicly with respect to ongoing investigations".

“There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labour of thinking.”- Thomas A. Edison

So, let's try to read some 'writings on the wall'. HOME... Any bets that the General Election will take place well before the end of this year? ...AND AWAY - Who will attack Iran, the US or Israel? You guessed it, Israel!

HOME...

Any bets that the General Election will take place well before the end of this year?

Accusations of manipulating the country into an election frenzy are being hurled all around like leaves in autumn.

"Will the Prime Minister call an election for late November, should Malta be cleared by mid-year to adopt the euro on January 1, 2008?", asked Lino Spiteri. In a sly artful way, he predicted the answer. Of course!! In the first sentence of his last paragraph of his article he states; "Should Labour win the election in a post-euro scenario of galloping prices......" And who would ever dream of holding an election following 'a post-euro scenario of galloping prices'? The Nationalist Party is more shrewd than that!

On January 14, 2007, Tonio Fenech, Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, was quoted as saying that "By the end of 2006, foreign investment is expected to exceed Lm 500 millions." It would be interesting to know if this figure had been reached and if in it is included the selling of Malta and its family silver! Does he expect any revival of our economic situation, once all our heirloom has been sold? I'm sure he's not betting on it and he knows that the earlier the chance of a premature election, the better. Before things get worse!

No thanks to 'Maltarightnow' for sending me, on Internet on Sunday, December 31 New Year's Eve, the filming of the hanging of Saddam Hussein, which I found disgusting and nauseating. The shallowness of these people was further exposed by sending this film-strip as 'Flash News' and their blaring of 'Exclusive' service.

My goodness, to what depths of depravity have we fallen!!

Maybe the promoters of 'Maltarightnow' thought that, as the filming and photos, uncensored, unauthorized and pirated, were being shown worldwide, this was a very good excuse of getting along with the mainstream. But why then, do we pride ourselves that we shun the use of the death penalty?

The execution's cruel theatre and the condemned, surrounded by hooded guards, was more than enough to shame the many self-proclaimed 'civilized' people. Saddam Hussein was hanged until the spark of life drained from his flailing limbs. I am not sympathetic to tyranny, oppression or brutality, yet I felt only shame in observing the morbid dance of death surrounding his execution.

Why then, do we have the cheek to deplore the showing of recordings of public beheadings? It probably seems appalling to us living in non-Muslim countries to think that children would gather round to watch an animal being slaughtered during Eid el Adha, while the brutal hanging of a human being is condoned.